Jointed switch-throwing bar



Patented Dec. l, 1925..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN H. GERDES AND THOMAS L.' HNSLY, OF ALVARADO, TEXAS.`

JOINTED SWITCH-TI-IROW'ING BAR.

Application filed February 17, 1925. Serial No. 9,771.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERMAN H. GnnDns and THOMAS L. HENsLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Alvarado, in the county of Johnson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jointed Switch-Throwing Bars, of which the following isa speciiication.

Our invention relates to certain safety switch throwing devices and more particularly to a jointed switch throw bar; and the object is to provide a simple and durable construction for switch throwing bars which will not be displaced or disarranged by any ordinary means or usage and which will prevent serious accidents. The advantage is that, when once installed, the switch bar cannot be put out of operative position without removing the whole switch throwing apparatus or rails and the device will sustain the severe pounding by the car wheels. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following` description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Fig. l is a plan View of a portion of a railway track provided with switch facilities and a switch throwingbar.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, showing the joint and portions of the lswitch bar. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the female portion of the joint. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the male portion of the joint. Fig. 6 is a` broken plan view, partly in section, taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 8.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The switch bar is in two parts l and 2, the part l being pivotally connected to the switch tongue 3 and the switch rail 4. The part 2 of the throw bar is connected to the switch throwing stand 5. The joint is provided with the usual pivot bolt 6. The head rod l is provided with a horizontal portion provided with a recess 7 which is curved on a radius with Vbolt 6 as the center of curvature. The connecting ro-d 2 is provided with a head 8 which occupies the recess 7 and a slot 9 leads from the recess 7 outwardly for the connecting bar 2. The

' head 8 is thicker in height than the slot 9 and so cannot be withdrawn directly and the curvature of the end of the shoulders on the head 8v conform in contour with the curvature of the recess 7. The joint is provided with a pivot bolt 6 but the bolt is not absolutely necessary for the operation and the joint can be used without the bolt.

Then once installed, the head 8 cannot be removed from the recess 7 without turning the bar 2 about 45 degrees and the stand 5 will prevent the turning of the bar 2 to any distance approximatingthat much of a turn. The joint will permit ample turning for operation. When once installed, the switch bar cannot'be removed without taking up the rail tongues or the stand 5. This will prevent unauthorized or mischievous persons from tampering with the switch. Various changes in the sizes, proportions, construction and arrangement of the parts may be mad-e without departing from our invention.

What we claim, is,-

l. A switch throwing bar comprising a relatively wide flat bar having a head enlarged above and below the planes of said bar and having a curved horizontal recess of greater depth than said bar and a slot leading centrally from said recess outwardly through the end of said head and a connecting rod having a flat body movable in said slot and having a curved head occupying and-movable horizontally in said recess and having shoulders projecting above and below the planes of said slot.

2. A switch throwing bar comprising a relatively wide flat bar having a head enlarged above and below the planes of said bar and having a curved horizontal recess of greater dept-h than said bar and a slot substantially of the depth of said body and in line with said body leading from said recess outwardly through said head and a connecting rod having a body substantially of the depth of said slot and a head of substantially the -depth of said recess and curved at the end and having curved shoulders for engaging the outer wall of said recess above and below the planes of said slot.

3. A switch throwing bar comprising a head rod having an enlarged end portion provided with a curved recess extending horizontally therethrough and a slot having less depth than said curved recess leading from said 'recess outwardly, a connecting rod occupying said slot and provided with a curved head occupying said recess and movable loosely therein, and a pivot bolt projected through said enlarged portion and through said connecting rod hack of saidL necting rod operatively connected to a switch stand and occupying said slot loosely and provided with curved head loosely oc cupying said recess, and a pivot bolt projected through said enlarged portion and through said connecting rod back of said head.

In testimony whereof, We set our hands, 2o

this 7th day of February, 1925.

HERMAN H. GERDES. 'lll'OM'AS L. HIGNSLEY. 

